This is how poor a user of Emacs I am: I still habitually use
C-@ (set-mark-command) to set the mark. I mean, on what planet is that
easier or more ergonomic than C-SPC (set-mark-command)?
I actually started retraining myself to use C-SPC a while ago, and
it's mostly taken—but I still occasionally catch myself going for that
awkward pinky-thumb-middle-finger chord that fires C-@.
More interesting for me to learn how to use effectively is
C-x C-x (exchange-point-and-mark). I know I spend a lot of unnecessary
time scrolling around the screen rather than targetting where I want to
go. Internalizing C-x C-x is, I think, the first step in moving a
little faster.
But there are other tools, as well.